Commission report
The UCL-Lancet Commission on Migration and Health full report, including commentaries, can be found on the Lancet’s website here, where it is available for free download. All resources linked to the commission can be found at – in order to access these, please sign up for an account with The Lancet.
About the report
We tackle specific vulnerabilities that affect many migrants and we present evidence in relation to socio-cultural and political factors, law and human rights and data on health outcomes.
Our analyses suggest that migrants are healthier, migrants contribute positively to the economies of host countries and, in wealthy countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States, migrants constitute a large proportion of the health workforce.
It is therefore right that we are tackling this topic as a priority area in global health. We conclude that:
- Health should be at the centre of the macroeconomic debate on population movement.
- That universal health coverage of all migrants is in our collective interest.
- That it is time for us to work together to challenge the prejudice and racism that is driving bad health outcomes for the most vulnerable migrants.
The health community has a special part to play, healing mental and physical trauma, evoking a spirit of altruism and compassion, strengthening human security, countering myths and misinformation about migration and (perhaps most important of all) holding governments accountable for their actions.
Accompanying Publications
The original research articles accompanying the Commission can be found here and at the following links:
Linked Commentary: Do migrants have a mortality advantage? (Borhade A, Dey S)
Linked Commentary: Forgotten needs of children left behind by migration (Griffiths SM, Dong D, Yat-nork Chung R)
Click here for an associated Comment in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health: Children and adolescents on the move. What does the Global Compact on Migration mean for their health?
Our policy brief can be viewed here or downloaded for printing here.